Steering-gear-locking mechanism.



I. L. COOK STEERING GEAR LBCKING lMECHANISM. APPucATlnM-HLED JAN.,22. |,9|7.

1,248,620. y Patented 1100.4,19171 FIM.

' Mmmm m JAMES L.q0/f.

narran eri-'line PATENT orricn.

JAMES l.. COOK, 01T' SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

STEERING-G EA R-LOCKING MECHANISM.

Specification. of Letters Batent.

ice/regnen.

To ali whom t 'may concern Be it .known that l, Je. ne L. (loon, a citizen ci' .the United States, rceiding at Springfield, in the county of Sanganion and State oit Illinois, have invented a new and useful SteeringGear-Locking Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to lockingmechanism for 'the steering gear of selfpropel-ling vehicles auch as automobiles, boats, etc. The general purpose of the invention. is to provide simple and efective lock-contreiled :means ci which the steering gear may he rendered ineffective to guide the vehicle while the steeril'ig gear locked, thus pre venting stealing or unauthorized nee of the vehicle.

More effeciiie purpoeee of the invention. are: To provider locking device adapted to be securely connected with the steering column of the vehicle without removing the steering wheel and adapted to lock the steering wheel in any position in which it 'may be placed, to provide means for irnily en gaging and .holding by frictional Contact Ithe different sizes of hubs ci steering Wheels suoli as in common. use, Without cutting notches or teeth in the hubs and Without matched luge, or notches or similar engaging devices on the hubs; to provide Ineens for rigidly suijiporting, in its raised position, the element of the locking nice-haniein, which coacte with the hub of the steerin i; Wheel; to provide means to prevent accir ental upward movement .of the element of the locking mechanism which acts on the hub of the steering wheel; to provide means whereby y the locking mechanism must be placed in locked position before the key can be Withdrawn;- and to provide. other new and useful structural details.

The invention consiste in the novel features of construction and combinations of 'parte shown in the annexed drawings and hereinafter particularly described, and finally recited in the claims. V

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the locking mechanism placed on the steering col- I so...

umn of an automobile; F ig. 2 is. a horizontal transverse. section on the line X.X. of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is. a Ahorizontal, transverse section on the line Y.Y. of.. Fig. 1; Fig. 4 vertical section on the lineZZ. of Fig. ie ,a vertical ,etion nntlie l :e

on the. line VN'. of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is pei epective lview ot the slide, detached; Fig. i5 a diagrammatic sectional View of the mechanism applied on a hub of reduced diameter; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of' the clamping ring; Fig. 10 is a reduced sectional view illustrating a casing of modied construction and a slide of modified form; and Fig. 11 illustrates a slide and appurte nances and a wedging device of inodilied construction.

The saine reference numerals deeigrinta.y the same parte in the diiferent views.

The Steering column l and the huh of the steering 'wheelV are of usual construe` tion: the huh iii-rigidly connected in. the ne .il manner with the steering shaft- 128, which rotative inside the stationary steern ing column l.

The. casing is preferably of steel and consists of two members 3 and 4, connected together and connected with the steering eclemnby screw stubs 5. In practice, complete screws 5, one of which is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, will be screwed through the casing and through the 4Wall of the steering column and the projecting' headed parte of the 4screws vWill be cut oii" close to the outer surface of the casing and smoothly finished. so that the screw stubs cannot be removed hy any instrument ordinavily available.

Within thecasingeniexnber 3 is a chamber f5 accommodating the slide 7 and appurtenancee, so that the slide may have free vertical' movement in the chamber. At the upper end of the casing-member 3 is a. boxlilre extension 27 in contact with lpart of the periphery of the hub 2 and adapted to prevent access to and tampering withy the operating .partshoused ip the chamber 6. The central and lower parte of the slide 7 are cut away to form an opening as shown at 13 (Fi s. 5 and 6) to admit of partial rotation o, the elliptical lifting lever 14 in the direction indicated by the'` arrow 15 to .cause the "perimeter of the lever to act onv the edge 16 of the slide to raise the slide; and to form a curved lug 1 7 upon which the .perimeter of 'the elliptical lever-engages to move the slide downward upon reverse rotation of the.1ever.

A tenen 19 is integral with the lever 14. The tenen 19 is adapted to occupy a eentralvmortise 2O in the lock cylinder 21, to

Patented Deo. 4, 1917. Application filed January 22, 1917. Serial 110,143,789.

cause the lever 14 to 'rotate in unison with the cylinder 21. The lock cylinder 21- may be of any usual or approved construction such vthat the cylinder can be rotated onl when the ke 22 is in thecylinder and the ey can be wit 'i'drawn only when the operating parts of the mechanism are in locked position.

A s `ring' 23 has one end rigidly connected with t .'e-slide 7 and the spring is in the vertical planel of the lever 14 and is in contact with the upper edge of the lever when the lever is in unlocked position. The spring 23 is sufficiently 'rigid to causey the slide to move i1 ward during the first stage of rotation o theA lever, until the highest part of the disk 25 stops against theunder sui'- vface of the-hub, and furtherl rotation of the 'lever causesv compression of the spring along the edge .16 of the slide 7 vand the l'spring remainsetective to hold .the disk 25 in close frictional'contact with the under surface of the hub, of the steering wheel. Upon clockwise rotation of the lever itl will compress the spring and Hatten "it along the edge 16 of the slide 7. The function of the spring 23 is to maintain constant .contact of the disk 25 with the under side of the hub or with the under side of theA gripping ring, as the case may be2 when the slide is raised and held in its i raised position by the leverlt.

The parts of the locking mechani are so constructed'and-arranged that tl e disk 25 may roll from the center toward the right or from the center toward the left on the inclinednpper surface 30 of the ledge 29, and the travel of the disk in either dif 'rection will be limited by the side walls of the chamber o. A thin p1ate`12, secured ,on the inner face of the slide, ,keeps the disk 25 fro1n falling away from the ledge 29.

When the mechanism is unlocked, the disk is free to roll in either direction and the travel of the disk on the ledge will cause the disk to rise as it ascends the -inclined surface on either side of the center of the ledge, but the disk cannot rise so high that its highest part will contact with the under surface of the hub while the lowest part of the disk is in contact with the inclined sur` face of the ledge. hen the inechanisin looked.t the slide wi l be in its raised posi tion, the lowest point of the disk will be at .the juncture of the inclined 'upper surfaces 30 of the ledge 29 and the highest point of the disk will be in close frictional con-- tact with the under surface of the hub, or

'With the enlargement used on the hub, so

that any attempt to rotate the steering Wheel in either Adirection will 'cause the disk to bind on the inclined sinface of the ledge and. on the under .surface of the hub, or its enlarge'- nient,.and thereby securely lockthe wheel'.4 .l1-lere 'it is to be noted that when the slide 7 is in its raised position, the spring 23 acting in Figs. 4 and 5,

might cause on theupper end of the levert' 14:, which'is then stationary', tends to raise the slide to keep the highest point ot the disk 25 always in spring-prcssed contact with the under surface of the hub, or its enlargement, so that the disk cannot fall away from the hub S0 -long as the n'iec-banisin remains locked, and so that any slight partial rotation of the hub will cause the disk-to bind on the under surface of the hub, or its enlargement, and on the inclined surface oit the ledge.

Itis also to be noted that the ledge having inclined upper surfaces, and vthe disk adapted to roll on the inclined 'suraces of the ledge constitute co-acting wedging vices adapted to prevent rotation o steering wheel in either direction.

thc

The wedging device is adapted to cooperate with the hub 2 and the lever 14, and in its preferred form comprises the basal member 29 having converged contact suriaces 30; a rolling member 25 adapted to roll on the converged contact surfaces; and resilient means 23 adapted to maintain due operative relation between the parts 2, 2? 29' and 14, substantially as described. ln Fig. l of the drawing I have shown the basal member 29 integral with the slide 7 and the spring 23 connected with 'the basal member,- but it is obvious that the basal member may be separate from the slide and the resilient member or members may be between the basal member and the Slide, as shown in Fig. ll, without 'departure from my invention.

0n one side of the siide 'i' is a transverse ledge 29 having an inclined upper surface S0 which supports the rolling disk 25. VVhen the parts are iii the unlocked position shown the highest part of the edge of the disk 'will be a considerable distance below, the under surface of the hub il. ik

'spring 3ll acts upwardly against one end of the lever 14. to hold the other end oi .the

lever against the. lug 17 to prevent accidentai upward movement of the slide 7 .which might result from 'jolting of the` vehicle means were net provided to. prevent it; and untimely 4Contact of thevdisk with the steering wheel and consequent locks .ing of the steering .lllie steering wliecis of, soinesvehiclcs hubs which extend only :1 little f sta-,nce

beyond. the ciiciinifogones of the stiA r column, 8) not enough to pei'niit the disk 25 to engage directly on the under surface of the hub. In such cases it is necessary to provide means which i'na'y be applied to' the hub of the wheel, without detacliing the Wheel from the steering lcolumn to enlar e the diameter of the hub suliiciently for t e disk to engage on the enlargement of the hub and lock the h-iib the saine as if the engage lnient were directly on the under surlace of a Het Contact surface; a slide capable of determinate bodilyl movement toward and away from the flat conteet-surfaoe of the steering vwheetand having converged. been ing-Surfaces; 'o circular member adapted to foil on the/converged Surfaces of the Slide and capable of 'frietionel engagement on the flat contact-surface of the steering wheel; and :i spring adapted to act on `the slide to maintain constant frictionul Contact ofA said circuler member with the flat c01- tact-surface of the steering' Wheel While the slide is at the limit of its mowrnent toward the fiat contact-surfece oi the steering Wheel.

7. In :t steeringgear loekingmeehanism' adapted toi use in conjunction with a steering Wheel and :1 steerin shaft controlled by the steering Wheel; t e combination oi? ay epringpressed Wedging device eomprie ing e first member .having Converged convteef; sur-faces and e second member adapted,

to YOU. on the Contact surfaces of seid member; ami means adapted to adv( Wedgng deYiee to e'eet close rietiona conm tact of the I'olling lnembei" thereof with, the steering wheel to prevent rotation of t steering Wheel. in either direction, eme adapted 'to retract the Wedging device to ermit free rotation of the steering 'whee' 1n eithei` direction. Y

8.1m av steeringgear loekingmechanism adapted for use in conjunction with a steering Wheel and a steering Shaft' Controlled by the steering wheel; a' 'wedging device comprising e. basal member having con.- verged Contact surfaces, a rolling member adapted to roli 011 the Contact surfaces of the basa] member and adapted for close friethe tional engagement with the steering wheel and resilient means for mantaniu due operative relation of the rolling memmer 0f tile wedging ii-Nice reint'iwga to theetee'iing wheel; and means for advancing and tineting the wedggixiig deviee in e, line pei aliel to the axis of the steerinv shaft.

9. In a steeringgem loekngmieohnism adapted for use in conjunction with :m i movable .steering column, e, steering eheft Wit-hin the steering column, and s. Steering Wheel rigid on the steering shaft and having ey fiat surface: the combination of Sect' 1.1. easing ettari bie perou:nentiy to the ete( ing Column. w yout (Metto-hing the Steei, Wheel; :i wed; device eemeed 'in the ing and. qompiei e rolling membei eaij et. for close f tio i exwefrement Witt; the fiat Surface ei' me atea Y1V means utiepted, to edvanee b in direction" para",

:deo et' if nig fie-moo in dire miei to ti' tien. L

of the Steering Shaft to dsengage the ro- 111g member thereof irom the let surfmize,

of the steering wheel to permit free rotation of the steering Wheei in either direction.

In witness whereof I 'neve' hereunto .y neme et Springfields Iliinois, this 'tii dey of Jennery, E917.

JAMES L, CQK,

Witnesses:

WV. T noxE-LL, W. C, Kmmwiimi. 

